Question on Holsters for a 450 lb man.

This is a discussion on Question on Holsters for a 450 lb man. within the Defensive Carry Holsters & Carry Options forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; Hello. I am a 5'9" 450lb man and I am relatively new to the CWP community. I live in South Carolina and that is where ...

Question on Holsters for a 450 lb man.

Hello. I am a 5'9" 450lb man and I am relatively new to the CWP community. I live in South Carolina and that is where I have my permit. It is my understanding that you must have your weapon concealed in the state of South Carolina. Being large, it is difficult to conceal if the gun is outside my waistband. Can anybody offer me any type of advice regarding what type of holster I should be looking for? My gun has a 4 inch barrel. It's an FNH 9mm handgun similar to the glock 17.
Thank you in advance. I appreciate it.

I'm about 265lbs but stand around 6'4", and I have a G17 I carry. The FN you have might work well in a Gould & Goodrich Inside the Waist Band Holster. Midway Online shows an example of one under product # 385909. I have used them before and they are great. You may have to contact G&G to order one for the FN if they make one for your particular sidearm. By the way........

I am 6'2" and have ranged between 230 and 260. Goes up and down. I carry a 9mm in a Smart Carry AIWB. I love it. It takes a little getting used to with a gut, but I made that adjustment fairly quickly. Good luck finding something that works for you.

Before I lost 50 lbs I had problems too. Pocket carry was and is still the easiest way for me to carry. I have your gun and find it too big for ccw. It is my home defense gun. Try a Kahr CM9 or Sig P938, both in 9mm. I also carry the XDs. I it nice and flat plus it is a .45. Also, depending on your shape, my weight was all in my stomach, the 4:30 position right behind your hip bone is usually indented and a great place to put a holster.

To be honest, I found it easier to conceal a gun when I was heavier since my stomach pushed out my shirts so much that it hid my gun. You may also want to consider holsters that ride high. That puts the grip of your gun well above your waist so that your shirt is held away from your body by your stomach and the grip is flat against your side.

In short, a high ride holster that holds the gun tight against you should work. I found OWB carry better than IWB when I was heavier. Good luck.

I have to agree with QK Shooter on this one. I can't totally relate to your size because 1.) I have never been that heavy and 2.) I am quite a bit taller than you. I would think a shoulder holster with a light jacket would probably be the easiest to manipulate.

I have to agree with QK Shooter on this one. I can't totally relate to your size because 1.) I have never been that heavy and 2.) I am quite a bit taller than you. I would think a shoulder holster with a light jacket would probably be the easiest to manipulate.

"I'm two inches taller, a better dancer, and much more fun to be with."

I am 62 and not exactly skinny (5'6" @260#) I opted for the 3Speed Holster It is a DEEP CONCEAL how ever I wear it at 1 O'Clock and about 2-3 inches above my waist band of draw string shorts. 3Speed reviewDSCN4634.jpg

I have to agree with QK Shooter on this one. I can't totally relate to your size because 1.) I have never been that heavy and 2.) I am quite a bit taller than you. I would think a shoulder holster with a light jacket would probably be the easiest to manipulate.

Larger men's arms already rub against their bodies. Put a gun there and they will have a black and blue mark from their arms rubbing against the gun all day. Shoulder holsters do not work when you are duty sized. I am stocky and my chest is square like Sponge Bob. I am also 6 feet tall. My arms naturally lay flat against the side of my chest. When I tired a shoulder holster it was so annoying because my arms kept rubbing against the gun.

At 6' and 300 pounds, I've had some issues myself. I used to have the same FN as you and had an Old Faithful IWB and thought it was wonderful. Really distributes the weight over a wider area.

You can get them in kit form (ridiculously easy to put together) and I think they'll set you back about $35.00 or so. I no longer have the FN, but was able to have them send me a kydex shell for a Glock 20 (which was about $15.00).

They're not much to look at, but I find them more aesthetically pleasing than most all of the other hybrid holsters out there.

Actually there are many heavy set folks that carry in a shoulder rig without any problem at all as it seems to be their most ideal location after much trial and after having experimented with all other body locations.
A shoulder rig positioning the firearm horizontally and high up under the arm pit might be his best option.
The only real problem would be if his arms are short and he would have difficulty reaching over to his gun side.
A Galco might be best for him since they are supplied with quite long harness straps.

I agree that if eltomoisblessed wants to pocket carry, that is also a viable option for him but, not for the handgun that he owns.